As the New York Times notes, “Coca-Cola didn’t make the billboard, but it did not disavow its message, either.”

“Not every fake must be false,” tweetedPatrick Kammerer, director of public affairs and communications at Coca-Cola Germany.

Why should a brand fight hate?

According to the SPLC, in the face of hatred, apathy will be interpreted as acceptance by the perpetrators, the public and — worse — the victims. Community members must take action; if we don’t, hate persists.